[1/12/05].

Fred Messina and I have been going back and forth for the better part of six years. He makes fun of me, I make fun of him.

For the longest time, I believed that his day consisted of arriving at work, settling in, getting on the phone with Bump Callaway and making lunch plans.

Peppered in were a story or two, then more phone calls to make lunch plans. He went to lunch at 1 every afternoon, then returned to the office to begin making supper plans.

On Thursday afternoons, I’d ask him what his column was about this week. &#8220Murphy,” he said, &#8220I got no flippin’ idea.”

But on Friday morning, like clockwork, his column would be waiting. Usually the ramblings of he and his buddies occupied the first half, then a steady flow of deer pictures followed.

Ah, ha! Only five paragraphs to get to the real point of this column.

For the past several weeks, Fred has been on the injured reserve list and his column has not appeared. To my surprise, though, the pictures don’t stop coming in just because Fred has. We’ve been attempting to run as many as possible each week, and somehow more show up for the next week.

My goodness, I am overrun with first deer, big deer, bucks, does and everything in between. Most of the pictures have nice little writeups making my job easier. Some are more tricky, especially for a former Yankee who spent 18 years hunting for his food in the freezer aisle at Shop Rite.

For instance, one hunter took down his first deer with a .45 magnum.

Isn’t that what Dirty Harry used? No, one of our resident outdoorsmen said.

One picture last week had a Boone and Crockett score. I didn’t even know they were in the playoffs.

One read, &#8220the inside spread was…” Do you not immediately start thinking of Thanksgiving?.

Continuing, &#8220the outside spread was…” Is it the Fourth of July?.

And oh my are these hunters particular about their locations. Some pinpoint a hunting club, some give a general area such as North Warren County. Others refuse. They don’t want to be found.

We currently have about a dozen deer pictures and they will all run as soon as possible.

And with that promise, an apology to Fred.

All these years I thought he made lunch plans for the first four hours of the day was hogwash. Now I marvel at how he had time to do much of anything with the amount of time spent sorting pictures.

I can now say it will be a treat when Fred returns to the office.

His desk has become too clean, and mine too cluttered.